Each week from now through the end of the 2016 season, Bucky Brooks will be checking in on the Coach of the Year race with a snapshot of his top five candidates. Here's how the leaders shape up after Week 16.

There aren't many coaches capable of guiding a team to the league's best record with a pair of rookies thriving in marquee roles. That's why Garrett is the clear frontrunner in this race with the
Cowboys sitting
atop the NFC with
Dak Prescott and
Ezekiel Elliott pacing
a dominant offense that has made Jerry Jones' squad look unbeatable down the stretch. The rookies are not only playing like seasoned vets at their positions, but they are emerging as strong leaders for a team that's peaking heading into the playoffs. With a no-name defense that's wearing out opponents with heart and hustle, the
Cowboys' head coach deserves credit for his stellar work in Big D.

RANK

2

Andy Reid, Chiefs

2

Despite being rarely cited as one of the most creative play designers in football, Reid deserves a mention after
unveiling several exotic plays that have helped the
Chiefs put points on the board on offense and in the kicking game. While
Tyreek Hill has been the biggest beneficiary of Reid's splendid work,
Dontari Poe has become one of his favorite subjects as a designated red zone weapon. The 6-foot-3, 346-pound defensive tackle has scored touchdowns on a bubble screen and
a "jump pass" that showcased his unrivaled athleticism and versatility as a big-bodied playmaker. With Reid also digging deep into the playbook to take advantage of
Travis Kelce's explosive skills on the perimeter (see:
80-yard touchdown on a bubble screenagainst Denver), the
Chiefs' head coach deserves a spot on the list for his creativity and winning pedigree.

RANK

3

Jack Del Rio, Raiders

1

The
Raiders' swaggy coach has pushed all of the right buttons on the way to guiding the team to a 12-3 record, but the
loss of Derek Carr will test his creativity and motivational skills. After spending most of the season riding a red-hot offense to
the winner's circle, Del Rio will need to get his defense and kicking units going to help the team overcome Carr's injury setback. He's shown his exceptional defensive acumen when he positioned
Khalil Mack at LDE/LOLB in the middle of the season to exploit favorable matchups against right tackles to spark the team's pass rush. In addition, he's challenged the secondary to play with better discipline to prevent balls from flying over their heads, which resulted in significantly improved play in recent weeks.

If Del Rio can sit down with the offensive coaches and implement some creative tactics that open up the field for
Amari Cooper and
Michael Crabtree, the
Raiders could make a surprising run despite their rolling into the playoffs with a backup quarterback (Matt McGloin) in tow.

RANK

4

Adam Gase, Dolphins

NR

After stumbling out of the gate to a 1-4 mark, the
Dolphins have won
nine of their last 10 games on the way to clinching
a playoff berth. Gase orchestrated the turnaround with a series of shrewd moves that changed the team's mentality and identity. Inserting
Jay Ajayi as the team's RB1 has given the
Dolphins' offense some much-needed balance and toughness, as evidenced by his three 200-yard rushing games since Week 6. Meanwhile, Vance Joseph has found a way to get the
Dolphins' defense going with
Cameron Wake and
Ndamukong Suh leading the way. With the offense and defense clicking on all cylinders, the
Dolphins are a legitimate threat to make some noise in the tournament despite leaning on a backup quarterback (Matt Moore) the rest of the season.

RANK

5

Dan Quinn, Falcons

NR

The
Falcons are rarely touted as a legitimate
Super Bowl contender, but teams are beginning to fear the Dirty Birds based on their
high-powered offense and rapidly improving defense. Quinn has entrusted
Matt Ryan to spark the offense as an efficient playmaker from the pocket. The MVP candidate has helped the unit average 33.5 points, which is nearly 11 points (10.8 to be exact) better than the league average. Most impressive, they've been able to light up scoreboards without the services of a few of their top playmakers each week. Defensively, the
Falcons have leaned on their young stalwarts (
Vic Beasley,
Deion Jones, and Keanu Neal) to snuff out opponents with their collective speed, quickness and physicality. As the current
No. 2 seed in the NFC, Quinn has the
Falcons sitting pretty heading into the postseason.